Communities used to take pride in the appearance of their firehouses. This reflected, in part, the esteem in which firemen were held. As Rebecca Zurier notes in her fascinating book, The American Firehouse: An Architectural and Social History many of the most impressive firehouses were built at the turn of the century, "a time when firemen enjoyed great popularity" compared to now when firefighters are viewed "more often as ordinary blue-collar workers." [Editor's note: after the events of September 11th, firefighters everywhere will, hopefully, again be viewed with great respect]

Firehouses have usually been more difficult to design than other public buildings. As Zurier points out, "The fire station's requirements [were] different from those of any other public buildings: it had to accommodate both men and machines, to include a heavy-duty garage for fire engines and pleasant living quarters for firemen under the same roof. Combining aspects of a garage, a barracks, and a home, it had to be public and private, institutional and domestic, ceremonial and functional all at once."

Despite these challenges, 19th century and early 20th century firehouses were often functional and well-designed. Unfortunately after World War II, while functionality remained, design excellence was often lost.

Why did this happen? Zurier suggests two factors: "One is the idea ... that there is a difference between functional buildings and aesthetic ones, with the implication being that aesthetic buildings are uselessly expensive, and functional buildings are ugly. The other is that firemen do not need or deserve aesthetic buildings."

Editor's Note: On the left below, a typical new firehouse. On the right, Burlington, Vermont, Fire Station No. 3 (built in 1896), located a block from my home in the midst of a residential neighborhood.
Subsequent to the photo shown above right (taken in March 2001), this banner was added to Fire Station No. 3 to honor firefighters killed on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center towers.

Perhaps because modern fire stations are so often undistinguished box-like structures, there does appear to be a growing interest in older firehouses -- and their preservation. The District of Columbia Preservation League, for example, in listing the City's 29 pre-World War II firehouses as endangered historic structures, noting that "these firehouses are significant not only for their architectural merits and diversity, but also for their socioeconomic impacts on their neighborhoods, as the firehouses spurred subsequent residential and commercial development."

A number of firehouses across the country have also been "recycled" for other uses. Perhaps the most appropriate adaptive reuse has been to convert the firehouse into a fire museum -- telling the story of major fires and firefighting in the community, and highlighting the importance of fire prevention and safety. Kansas City, Missouri; Racine, Wisconsin; and New Bedford, Massachusetts, are just some of the cities that have done so.

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